As a teacher, I’ve often wondered why children sometimes need to be reminded of the same things repeatedly.
Teachers spend a great deal of time encouraging children to listen, follow instructions, respect others, cooperate and take responsibility. Something could be explained clearly and understood at the time, yet before long, the same reminder is needed again.
This can be frustrating, and it’s easy to conclude that children simply don’t listen.
Over time, however, I’ve come to look at this differently.
Children don’t learn only from what adults tell them. They also learn from what they observe. They see how parents, teachers, family members, neighbours and other adults communicate, respond to rules, handle disagreements, cooperate with others and take responsibility for their actions.
Research on children’s development supports something many teachers and parents observe in everyday life: children learn not only from what adults tell them, but also from what adults do.
The behaviour they see at home, at school and in the wider community can help shape their understanding of what is normal and acceptable.
Of course, adults are not the only influence on children. Friends, social media and personal experiences also play a role.
A simple experience in a community WhatsApp group recently triggered a deeper reflection on this issue.
The group consisted largely of adults and active members of the community. Members were repeatedly asked to share telephone numbers using the +264 format so they could be added directly to the group, eliminating the need for administrators to edit the numbers of the many people joining the group.
It was a simple request intended to save time and make the process easier for everyone. Yet the reminder had to be given repeatedly.
On its own, this is a minor matter. But ordinary experiences can sometimes make us think more deeply about much broader issues. The real concern is not the telephone number or the WhatsApp group.
It’s about how we as adults respond to simple requests, cooperate with others, respect other people’s time and consider how our actions may affect those around us.
That experience made me ask a broader question: If we expect children to listen, cooperate, respect rules and act responsibly, how consistently do we demonstrate those same behaviours ourselves?
We often express concern about children’s behaviour. We say children do not listen, do not respect rules, avoid responsibility or are difficult to discipline.
Teachers are expected to address these behaviours at school, and schools are expected to develop discipline, responsibility and respect alongside academic learning.
Schools certainly have an important role to play. But education does not begin and end at the school gate. A child’s environment is also a classroom.
– Angelikana Kanyanga is an educator at Otjiwarongo Secondary School and a PhD researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.
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